Means for preventing erosion and overheating of firearms.



W. D. SIVIITH. MEANS FOR PREVENTING EROSAION AND OVERHEATING 0F FIREARNIS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 5. 1916.

Patented June 27, 1916.

WILLIAM D. SMITH, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMIBIA.

MEANS FOR PREVENTING EROSION' AND OVERHEATING OF FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J une 27, 1916.

Application led January 6, 1916. Serial No. 70,681.

T o all whom t may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIM' D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing Erosion and Overheating of Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to means for automatically and properly coating the bores of fire arms with material that. will prevent erosion and reduce the excessive heating of the barrel.

One of the primary objects is to provide means of a simple and novel character that will effectively secure the desired results and will add little, if anything, to the cost of the ammunition.

While the invention is particularly intended for use in guns and fire arms of relatively small caliber, it will be understood that its use is not thus restricted, but may be made applicable to re arms and artillery generally.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional view through a cartridge embodying the present invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views, respectively, of diiferent forms of wads or partitions that may be employed between the explosive or propelling charge and the body v of lubricant.

Similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated, a cartridge shell or case is shown at 4, and may be of any desired or well known form. Located therein is the usual explosive or propelling charge 5 that terminates short of the discharge endof the case or shell. In said discharge end is fitted the usual bullet or projectile l6, the same being spaced from the propelling charge 5, forming a chamber 7. A wad 8 constitutes the rear wall of said' chamber, and may be of any desirable character. Preferably, however, this wad consists of a rear thin disk 9 of copper', compressed wood fiber or the like and one or more layers of flexible fibrous material 10, such as asbestos. The chamber 7 is filled with a body of non-combustible coating material or lubricant 11, preferably powdered graphite,

this material, as shown,

being confined between the rear face of the projectile or bullet (i and the wad 10 and within and by the walls of the cartridge case or shell. It will be vunderstood that this graphite or other coating material is separate from or independent of the said projectile, and also that the wad or partition is such that the gases of the exploded charge cannot get in front of the same.

The operation, it is thought, will be obvious. lVhen the cartridge is pla-ced in the fire arm and the propelling charge exploded, the force of this charge will be transmitted to the projectile, through and by means of the coating materia-l, which will be expelled behind the said projectile. As soon as it leaves the cartridge case, it is, in effect, free of the projectile, except for the force of the explosion behind it which holds it there, against, and 1n addition, it is in contact o`ni all sides with the walls of the bore of the gun.- It will thus be distributed over the entire surface, so that it coat the same in front of the shell, while some of the material will be forced between the outer face of the shell and the bore of the gun between the time that the projectile leaves the shell and the time that the wad leaves the shell. As a result the bore-of the gun will be coated with graphite from a point in back of the front edge bf the shell will thoroughly to the muzzle of the gun, so that erosionw and overheatmg of the barrel is, t0 a great extent, eliminated, and the life of the fire.

arm thereby prolonged. The forcing of graphite around vthe outer surface' of a shell will prevent the corroding of this portion of the bore, so that the cartridge shell can readily be extracted, as it will form a lubricant to prevent the sticking of the shell to the bore of the gun. It will be noted that while not necessarily limited to such use. it is peculiarly advantageous in connection with fixed ammunition-that is, ammunition in which the complete charge is contained in a cartridge case.

From the foregoing, 1t is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be, understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

-Having thus fully described my invention, what I'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A cartridge shell containing aprojectile, an explosive charge behind the projectile, a wad in front o the explosive charge, and a body of powdered graphite in loose 'form interposed between the wad and projectile; substantially as described.

2. A gun charge comprising a projectile, an explosive charge behind the projectile, Va wad in front of the explosive charge, and a body of powdered graphite in loose form interposed between the wad and projectile; substantially as described. Y

3. An erosion preventing charge Jfor ire arms, comprising an explosive charge, a projectile, an abuti'nent in front. of said explosive charge, and a charge of'powdered graphite in loose form between the abutment and projectile and arranged to be forced` against the Walls of the bore of the arm by .the pressure of the exploded explosive charge; substantially as described.

4. A gun charge comprising a projectile,

tile, a flexible Wad in front of the explosive charge, a rigid wad between the explosive charge and the first wad, and a body of powdered graphite in loose form interposed between the flexible Wad and projectile; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I. have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

A WILLIAM D. SMITH. Witnesses:

E. G. MoCAR'rHY.

Copie o! this patent muyy he obtained for Ave cent: each, by addressing the "ommhllonex' o! Intent, Washington, D. C." 

